Flame igniters such as those useful in lighting combustible materials wherein the flame of the igniter must be pointed in other than an upward direction are difficult to design so that the size and quality of the flame does not change as the igniter is tilted from vertical. Features of such devices are taught in WAKAMATSU, U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,579; PIFFATH, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,183 and ROSENTHAL, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,947. These devices, as well as commercially available igniters, which utilize butane gas in a compressed liquid form, require adapters so that the fuel from the containers of various suppliers can be transferred under pressure thereinto. A solution to the filling problem also has been to make a throwaway unit with no provision to add fuel once the igniter has left its place of manufacture. Available igniters can become extremely dangerous in the event they are exposed to high temperature conditions, such as when they are thrown in a fire. This causes the internal pressure to build until the case bursts, spewing flame and shrapnel. Various pressure release devices are available. However, most igniters must sell at low competitive prices and the available pressure release devices are too expensive to incorporate. Such igniters also suffer because it is difficult to manufacture an on/off type, adjustable regulator valve which is capable of providing a relatively constant flame size no matter how the orientation of the igniter is changed. This is especially important when devices such as pipes, gas barbecues, gas fireplaces, furnaces or other devices requiring other than a vertical flame for ignition are to be ignited. In the latter cases, it is also desired that the igniter be of sufficient length that the user thereof can be positioned to avoid the sudden flash with which some such devices ignite. Known on/off regulator designs tend to regulate and turn on and off with different components so that improper assembly, misuse or breakage can result in a device that will retain butane but will not regulate it, resulting in a dangerous situation when the gas finally is released and ignited.
Many igniters which have spark wheels have been provided with remote actuation devices which prevent abrasion to the thumb when actuating the spark wheel, such as levers, ratchets and the like. However, for simple, trouble-free operation at a reasonable cost, it is desirable that the spark wheel be thumb actuated directly. Smooth flanges adjacent to and integral with the frictionized portion of the spark wheel reduce thumb abrasion but such are relatively costly to manufacture.